Superman returned from his self-imposed exile in the Fortress of Solitude, but even he wasn't able to stop the rise of the fanatical Kandorian leader known as Quar. Faced with the prospect of fighting his own daughter, Lara, Superman instead allowed his enemies to beat him mercilessly.

Art by Andy Kubert & Klaus Janson

Quar then proceeded to kill the Man of Steel by coating him in unbreakable "black matter," melting the Fortress of Solitude with Superman's hardened corpse inside and then refreezing the rubble so that no trace of the Fortress remained.

Things aren't looking great for Bruce Wayne and Carrie Kelly, as now Quar has turned his attention on Gotham and demanded that the city hand over Batman or face Quar's wrath. And with Superman seemingly dead, Flash seriously injured and Wonder Woman no longer taking Batman's calls, his list of allies is growing precariously thin.

The good news is that other Justice Leaguers are still around to oppose Quar. This issue revealed that Ray Palmer survived being squished to death after freeing the Kandorians but is now trapped at sub-atomic size. This issue also introduced the Dark Knight Universe's Aquaman, who arrived to rescue Carrie Kelly from a losing battle against Gotham's angry citizens.

Art by Frank Miller

What chance do Batman and his friends have against an army of Kryptonians? Is Superman actually dead? We'll find out when The Dark Knight III: The Master Race #5 is released on June 29.